The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-22
JEFFERSON AT HOME.
The Surprising Ingenuity of the Gifted
Owner of Monticello,

brought his mind TO Dear, not only
upon the development of his somewhat
grand ideas in regard to home, but
upon the most minute and peculiar
contrivances for convenience and adorn-
ment. He drew plans and made esti-
mates for nearly every thing that was
built or constructed on his place. He
calculated the number of bricks to be
used in every part of his buildings. and
his family now possess deliberately
drawn plans of such bits of household
furnishing as curtain valences" and
the like. Many of his ideas in regard
to building and furnishing he brought
with him from France; but more of
them had their origin in his brain.
There were no bedsteads in his house,
but in every chamber there was an
alcove in the wall in which a wooden
framework was built which supported
the bed. Ills own sleeping arrange
ments during the lifetime of his wife
were of very peculiar nature; in the
partition between two chambers was
an archway, and in this archway was
the double bed; one chamber was Mr..
Jefferson's room, and the other was his
wife's dressing-room; when he arose in
the morning he got out of bed into his
own room, and Mrs. Jefferson got out
into her room. After his wife's death
her room became his study, and the
partition wall between it and the IL
brary being taken down, the whole was
thrown into the present large apart
ment. Over the archway in which the
bed is placed is long closet reached
by step-ladder placed in another
closet at the foot of the bed. In this
were stored in summer the winter
clothes of the family, and in winter
their summer habilments. At the
other side of the arch there is small
door, so that persons going from one
room to the other had no need to clam
Der over the bed.
In the smaller chamber, when it be-
came his study, stood Mr.. Jefferson's
writing-chair, which was made to suit
his peculiar needs; the chair itself was
high-backed, well.rounded and cush-
toned, and in front cf it extended a
cushioned platform, on which Mr.. JEFF
ferson found it very pleasant to stretch
his legs, being sometimes troubled with
swellings of the smaller veins of these
limbs. The writing-table was so made
+bot II oon1J ba 1,.o1U,, IN ovar +bic
platform, legs and all, and pushed down
when it was not in use. The top of this
table turned on pivot; on one side of
it were his writing materials, and on
the other was the little apparatus by
which he made copies of all his letters.
By his side was another revolving table,
on which his books of reference lay, or
were held open at proper angles. Near
him also stood a pair of large globes;
and, if he wished to study any thing
outside of this world, he had in the
room two long telescopes mounted on
brass tripods. Convenient also were
his violins, one a Cremona, and the
other the bass-viol saved from the Shad-
well IRE. DcSlucS lHc UOOh-SltlNeS anu
the somewhat simple furniture of the
library, there were number of oddly
contrived little closets, in which were
stored his multitudin0us manuscripts.
There is writing-table now in the
possession of the family, which wa;
frequently used by Mr.. Jefferson, and
which is very ingeniously contrived
Two of its four legs are hollow, and ii
these run rods resting on springs by
which the table can be easily elevated
the other legs being also extensible
but in different way. When Mr.. JEFF
ferson was tired of writing in sitting
position, he could stand up ard rails,
this table to the desired height. When hi
wished to use 1t as a reading-stand, tn,
to p could be inclined at any angle, anC
a strip of brass was brought into use tt
keep the books and papers from sliding
off
Opening from the library was a large
room inclosed with glass. which was in
tended for a conservatory, but was use(
by Mr.. Jefferson as his work-room
There he had II work bench, with al
sorts of carpenters tools, with which
he constructed great many OF thu
small conveniences he invented
Franz; Il. StOcbtO7A ar Century.